Stress-free, embossed, ornamented tile surface covering and process for making the same

Abstract

A stress-free embossed, ornamented surface covering, suitable for use as a floor or wall tile, is made by: providing a decorated resinous film on a release carrier, with the decorated surface of the film facing away from the carrier; providing on a release carrier a pre-formed, low-density, reinforced, porous thermoplastic base material, which may include hollow, non-thermoplastic particles; interfacing the decorated surface of the film with the top surface of the base material; perforating the film, after removal of the release carriers; and, subjecting the structure to high frequency electrical energy and pressure in a flatbed press having a cooled embossing plate and a cooled back-up plate, to emboss the structure, fuse the resins and render the film substantially impermeable. The film may be die cut in register with the decoration thereon while it is on the release carrier, without cutting the carrier, prior to lamination of the film to similarly cut and shaped pieces of the base material or, the base material and the decorated film thereon may be simultaneously cut in register with the decoration after removal of the release carriers. An adhesive coating and a releasable paper may be applied to the back of the product to facilitate installation thereof on a surface upon removal of the paper.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for making a stress-free, dimensionally stable, embossed surface covering comprising: (a) providing a resinous thermoplastic transparent top layer having a plurality of openings extending through the thickness thereof and adapted to allow passage of air therethrough during a subsequent embossing and fusion step, said resinous thermoplastic top layer being a vinyl film having a design on one surface thereof;   (b) providing a low density porous thermoplastic base layer comprising a pre-consolidated resinous dryblend having preformed, hollow, non-thermoplastic particles homogeneously distributed therein;   (c) applying the resinous top layer onto the base layer;   (d) placing an embossing plate with deep recesses adjacent the resinous top layer, wherein the embossing plate is part of a flatbed press having a cooled embossing plate and a cooled backing plate;   (e) embossing the composite structure by pressure which presses the embossing plate into the surface of the composite structure having the resinous top layer by applying high frequency energy to the structure after the press is closed;   (f) permitting air trapped in the deep recesses of the embossing plate to escape through the openings of the top layer into the porous base layer; and   (g) then heating the composite structure under pressure to permit the film to seal shut its perforations and then to fuse the base layer without forcing base layer material into the openings of the top layer.   
     
     
       2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the resinous thermoplastic layer is a film selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyacrylates, polyurethanes, polyester, and polyethylenes. 
     
     
       3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the resinous thermoplastic film is provided on a release carrier, the design on the film is on the surface thereof which faces away from the release carrier, and wherein the design-bearing film surface is interfaced with the top surface of the base material and the release carrier is separated from the film prior to the embossing and fusion step. 
     
     
       4. The process according to claim 3, wherein a shaped portion of the resinous thermoplastic film is cut in register with the design portions thereon while it is on the release carrier without cutting the carrier, and prior to interfacing the design-bearing surface of the film with the top surface of the base material, and wherein the base material is provided in a size and shape corresponding to that of the cut portion of the film. 
     
     
       5. The process according to claim 3 including the step of cutting the film and base material in register with the design portions on the film after the design-bearing film surface has been interfaced with the top surface of the base material and after separation of the release carrier from the film. 
     
     
       6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the base layer is about 100 mils thick and the top layer is about 4 mils thick.